A Robot Navy
I’m not anti-robot (robophobic). If the robots promise to kill me last, I’ll welcome the advent of SkyNet – honest. The US Navy is making strides toward unmanned/crewed vessels that will operate autonomously. Nobody worries about the possibility of a hack? Ok, I won’t either. No, not much. CDRSAL weighs in on the subject here. Many “unmanned” systems, such as Loyal Wingman, are almost as expensive as manned platforms.
The Adaptable Deck Launching System, or ADL, meets the need for a fixed-angle, low-elevation, deck-mounted ship defense launching system (SDLS) for near-term application onboard U.S. Navy and allied ships. The ADL is fully compatible with the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) in the Mk 25 Quad Pack Canister and other canisters compatible with the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS). Launch control can be provided by the Mk 41 VLS electronics suite and other launch control systems.
Will a fleet of unmanned/crewed ships mean a need for fewer admirals? (yeah, right) What if we married the coming generation of Tesla robots with the robot fleet? Would damage control robots hold their own Chinese Fire Drill (yes, I know that’s racist)?
Bullet Points:
** You want real success? Then you need honest feedback. If you’re only looking for people to tell you what you want to hear, you’re setting yourself up to fail. The market doesn’t care about your feelings, it cares about results. Take the hard truth, fix the problems, and build something that works.
** A sharp drop in mortgage interest rates finally lit a fire under loan demand. After a lackluster showing for this year, both current homeowners and potential homebuyers jumped back into the market. Total mortgage application volume jumped 20.4% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. This was the first increase in three weeks and an outsized weekly move. Mortgage rates were the culprit. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances of 806,500 or less decreased to 6.73% from 6.88%, with points decreasing to 0.60 from 0.61 (including the origination fee) for loans with a 20% down payment.
** During his joint address to Congress on Tuesday, Trump cited several examples of “appalling waste” he had cut, including $8.2 million in NIH-funded studies on “gender-affirming” hormone treatments in mice. CNN’s Deidre McPhillips initially tried to dispute the claim, arguing only about $500,000 had been allocated for similar research in monkeys — she was later forced to issue a correction after the White House proved CNN’s “fact check” inaccurate in a statement.
** “I also signed an order to cut off all taxpayer funding to any institution that engages in the sexual mutilation of our youth.” – Pres. Trump
** A friend of mine died and his brother came to visit me. He brought me my buddy’s Yarborough knife. Some of you in the industry will know what a Yarborough knife is. After graduating from the Q Course, they started issuing them to Army Special Forces people after 9/11. Unlike the Navy’s early MPK Knives (made by Rick Shultz, Mission Knives) for the SEALs, which are titanium, with a “mud colored” blade and no attribution, the Yarborough knives are serialized. I have one of the original MPKs from 1988 when they were first made and I was at Group One. Now I have a Yarborough. I’d rather have living friends than dead ones.
** The problem is; We look for someone to grow old together, While the secret is to find someone to stay a child with! (Charles Bukowski)
** If black lives really mattered, they’d be tearing down crack houses instead of statues.
** (zerohedge) A new bombshell report has been issued Thursday saying that Trump’s team is engaging members of the Ukrainian opposition in secret – toward efforts in support of potential political transition in Kiev.
** Senator John Kennedy – “During the pandemic, we sent out $1.4 BILLION in checks to dead Americans—and they were cashed.”
** Small farms (h/t PaulM)—I have no idea how small farms and ranches can survive financially in this environment. As the presenter says, we all need to eat. However, the scale of small farms is not in their favor economically without equipment and labor sharing arrangements with other small farms in the area. In a sense, it makes many small farms become big farms and the economy of scale shifts back to their favor.
Colombia Univ. Woes
(NY Post) WASHINGTON — The Trump administration yanked roughly $400 million in grants and contracts from Columbia University on Friday, citing the school’s noncompliance with anti-discrimination laws.
The funding cancellation comes after months of antisemitic harassment and intimidation on the Morningside Heights campus — with pro-Hamas slogans proclaimed by demonstrators and the NYPD eventually being called in to restore order last April.
“Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses — only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a statement.
In Arizona
Here is a list of all 24 leases in Arizona that the Trump administration reports it has cancelled, including the federal office affected, and the location, square footage, and annual cost of each lease:
- National Park Service, Camp Verde: 2,300 sq. ft., $53,544.
- National Park Service, Flagstaff: 6,760 sq. ft., $242,966.
- National Park Service, Flagstaff: 3,991 sq. ft., $163,170.
- Bureau Of Indian Affairs, Fredonia: 1,500 sq. ft., $22,860.
- Internal Revenue Service National Office, Glendale: 18,963 sq. ft., $724,116.
- Railroad Retirement Board, Mesa: 1,946 sq. ft., $36,974.
- Forest Service, Mesa: 7,500 sq. ft., $305,100.
- Internal Revenue Service National Office, Mesa: 24,853 sq. ft., $910,925.
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Nogales: 2,506 sq. ft., $68,551.
- Public Defender Service, Phoenix: 46,567 sq. ft., $1,168,475.
- General Services Administration, Phoenix: 2,193 sq. ft., $44,990.
- Internal Revenue Service National Office, Phoenix: 99,880 sq. ft., $2,666,602.
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Phoenix: 22,915 sq. ft., $562,209.
- Forest Service, Phoenix: 32,162 sq. ft., $719,682.
- Bureau Of Indian Affairs, Phoenix: 71,591 sq. ft., $1,784,239.
- Office Of U.S. Attorneys, Phoenix: 72,980 sq. ft., $2,217,818.
- Bur Of Industry & Security, Phoenix: 36,750 sq. ft., $1,194,475.
- Executive Office For Immigration Review, Phoenix: 23,048 sq. ft., $726,528.
- Indian Health Service Navajo, Saint Michaels: 40,924 sq. ft., $1,074,931.
- Small Business Administration, Show Low: 460 sq. ft., $11,013.
- Food And Drug Administration, Tempe: 4,176 sq. ft., $151,150.
- United States Fish And Wildlife Service, Tucson: 4,791 sq. ft., $126,374.
- Bureau Of The Census, Tucson: 7,335 sq. ft., $287,894.
- Natural Resources Conservation Service, Yuma: 4,541 sq. ft., $123,878.
The people who worked (or didn’t work) in those offices will be folded into other government offices which have ample unused space.
The Congressional Reform Act
- No Tenure/No Pension—A Congressman or woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay, pension or benefit for that service when out of office.
- Congress will participate in the same healthcare systems available to the general public.
- US Representatives may serve four terms in office (8 years). US Senators may serve two terms in office (12 years).
- No Federal legislator may receive employment, remuneration, or any benefit from a company that does business with the US Government for ten years after leaving office.
- No Federal legislator may receive a contribution, gift, or remuneration of any kind from an employee association, labor union, or employee over whose salary they have control.
Nice Work – If you can get it…
Employment in the City of Angels. City of dreams? Maybe. Where else can you make $800,000 a year as a fire captain? Where else can you make $858K as a load dispatcher? Maybe New York City or Boston? I don’t know. You can see why they’d want to keep their government jobs. I’m sure that a private sector load dispatcher might make $30-40K a year. At least you know why the taxes are so high in these areas. It takes a lot of schleps paying taxes to keep a load dispatcher or a fire captain going.
Identify the Unmanned Aircraft
1
(Hint: Not an American drone) 2 internal weapons bays for up to 2,000 kg of guided and unguided munitions.
At least six built and operational as of 1-1-25. An estimated 671 bombs have been produced for this aircraft.
2
At least eight have been built and are currently operational.
Parting Shot
End
1?
2 MQ-28 Ghost Bat for Australian Airforce
3 Snoopy and red baron
You didn’t list the Sopwith and Fokker versions being used?
Indeed. Fokker Dr.1 and dog house identifying as a Sopwith Camel.
As I understand it, the Fokker had a tendency to come apart in midair. Some of it was poor quality control, but some appears to have been the difference in lift generated by the different wings.
WW I aircraft were generally suicide machines. Most of them didn’t have
instruments. Some of them didn’t even have *throttles*, you had to vary
your speed by turning the engine off and on.
– Kle.
Identify the Unmanned Aircraft:
1. Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B
2. Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat
Excellent call on #1, Surly.
Schleppers; We have a neighbor who ordered a new Kenworth summer of 2022. This seasoned New Englander was frustrated with the last flip remodel and went all in. Besides long hauling full time, K is the P.M. ( Acting general) for the 1913 remodel I’m pounding nails on. She’s on the development board for our little Texas town of 4k in a typical county of 13k. She’s currently taking time to attend the Phoenix NASCAR races. Everyone who knows her will attest she’s working remotely on something or other. The city manager and assistant were recently dismissed for embezzlement. Progress will not be impeded for this bedroom community for Abilene. The onion layers of politics are currently affecting a staffing shortage for law enforcement. City utility services have risen to an average of $160 for water and sewer. Rumors float of a railroad terminal for steel recycling and a bio fuel power plant. Meanwhile, a SMR is being installed at the local university and 300 + electricians are employed at the local Stargate construction site. APDJT pledged to spend $500 billion building AI data centers in the US. Subsequently 1.1B or .002 has dripped into our mini “metroplex”. It used be that county jobs did NOT pay as well as the private sector but had better benefits. Also, the notable joke was ” it takes 3 observers for each shovel operator.” Our son’s once did a photo op of their novel invention. Shovels that hold themselves up. Long live DODGE!
Texas politics becomes quite complicated when you take into account the vast number of counties you have and the taxbase that’s split between those jurisdictions.
Here in Florida, Governor DeSantis has announced the formation of a Florida DOGE to cut government waste in state, county and local governments. It will be very welcome and the screaming from leftwits throughout the state will be loud and wonderful.
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Sounds like Texas also needs a DOGE.
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Hmmm. Just noticed. Musk… has facilities in Florida and Texas. Mayhaps once he’s done with national DOGE he could put some time in or lend his troops to our great states.
Weren’t Mad Dog knives issued to the SEAL Teams also?
Kevin McClung, the bladesmith, claimed the Mad Dog ATAK the winner of the 1992 SEAL Knife Trials.
When you consider that I was involved with the knife trial (NAVSPECWARGRUONE) at the time, I can tell you what the findings were. The MPK (Multi-Purpose Knife) from Mission Knives won the competition. It’s a titanium knife and for mine clearance and other activities where you want a non-magnetic knife, that’s important. It replaced the old SEAL knife made by Buck. The old Buck knife incorporated beryllium into the alloy, and when slivers get into human skin, they form tumors. So they had their flaws. Rick Schultz subsequently sold Mission Knives (Mission=Mission Viejo, the city where the company was located). The company moved to Anaheim, CA. When the knife-off was being conducted, I visited Rick at his shop and at his home, also in Mission Viejo. I’ve also visited the new Anaheim factory some time ago.
**
At the same time, the SOG knife performed well, but it was made of steel and is magnetic. Steel doesn’t do well in LONG immersion in saltwater but when you consider operational tempos, knives are not usually immersed in saltwater for a long time. So SOG came in second and became an issued/preferred tool.
**
As a matter of practical operation, the Mk-3 Navy Knife was used as a camp tool by the Teams. It’s pot-metal, and not a great knife, but if you broke a blade or dulled it (easy to do), nobody cared. You could pry things with it, break it, knotch the blade and just get another knife from supply to replace it. So while the cool and expensive knives won the competition, they didn’t replace the Mk-3.
Thank you Sir for the inside track info.
I just went to the Mission Knives site. It appears they’re moving to the east coast.
The knife designations changed. The original SEAL knife was the MPK (Multi-Purpose Knife). First the one without attribution with the brown titanium blade. Then the one for general issue to the Teams with a non-glare silver titanium blade and manufacturer attribution. Rick also made a 4″ folding titanium blade knife that would easily pass through a metal detector – MPF – Multi-Purpose Folding (Knife).
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Then came the new owner who created a Multi-Purpose Fighting (Knife) MPF. Thinner blade with a false edge on top. I took my MPF – fighting – to the factory and said, “What’s this false edge bullshit?” After some discussion, the new owner handed my blade to one of his fabricators. It took over two hours to put a razor sharp edge on the top of the blade (no longer false) edge. If you advertize it as a fighting knife, you should make a fighting knife. After that, he had a flood of Team guys show up to get their knives “fixed.”
(I went to Mission’s website) They’re now selling a steel knife as an MPT – tactical. That’s the blade form of the old MPF – fighting, then made of titanium. A friend of mine is headed to Africa and called me a month or so asking how to sharpen his MPK properly. He must have put it through its paces to dull the blade that much. My experience was that if they’re in need of a fresh edge, it’s not that much work. But I never dulled mine that much in use. (note above) They ground that blade for at least two hours to make the false edge a real, very sharp, edge. Titanium is as much of a ceramic as it is a metal and the sharpening process of something that hard can be a challenge.
Congressional Reform Act. Whoever is proposing that is just wasting our time, again. The constitution sets the requirements for who can be in congress, that includes how long. The other items could actually be passed. The current and future representatives don’t want that, thus the Kabuki theater
In point of fact, I proposed it, so it’s not being considered by Congress. It would never be considered by Congress. You can file it under a topic of “short wish list”.
Other than the term limitations I think someone in office ought to propose it. I’m sure they’ll grandfather themselves to keep their benefits. Like the MI house/senate did when they kept lifetime healthcare for themselves but all future representatives had to pay for their own after leaving office.
LL- I like the proposal, send it over to Levin, see how it scans with his Constitutional expertise. The Swamp Critters have wrecked enough that it is time to reset a few things and your list would be a refreshing first step to that end while avoiding career politicians with long term influence that tends to wreck everything simple while lining their greasy pockets.
It could be called “The Lambert Act”. Has a nice ring to it.
X2…nice one! Adds to the legacy mystique of our host.
I would add to the list to put Congress (probably others) under the same trading restrictions imposed on bank employees in the investments arena. Includes such limits as no day trading, pre-approval for trades and portfolio monitoring.
X2
X3
Oh, I don’t know. Let the scoundrels reap massive profits. Just pass a bill that any excess profits above a normal hedge fund or mutual fund returns goes directly into paying off the national debt. And then encourage the congresscritters to do as many trades as possible.
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With some of the returns some of them have had, the national debt would be paid off in no time at all.
“Will a fleet of unmanned/crewed ships mean a need for fewer admirals? (yeah, right) ”
*
I am pretty sure that USN’s vision for the future is one where *only* Admirals wear the
uniform and none of the ships of boats have crews… IDK who they think is going to
run the O Clubs though.
*
Small farms – there is a way for them to survive, at least in rich non-ag States. They
become Boutique Farms, and raise fancy local food, for fancy local people. They can
charge anywhere from almost-competitive with the store to a whole hell of a lot for
their products, and by cutting out all the middlemen and selling direct make a good
profit (or a great profit, at the schmanciest end) . These are generally *really* small
farms though, by farm State standards. On the bright side, it means we can buy half
a cow or half a pig for the deep freeze, and meet the cow or pig first, and get good
fresh produce around here on an equitable basis. It’s funny – when I was a kid, there
were still quite a few real farms in Rhode Island. Change can sure come quickly.
– Kle.
The small farm situation is a complicated one. My wife and I run a goat dairy east of Snowflake, AZ and we are struggling to comply with all the county requirements for producing approved dairy products. It’s not super critical, though we would like to earn enough to pay for the feed for the animals.
A more realistic farming perspective is presented in a YouTube channel named Laura Farms. Laura and her husband run a typical family farm in Nebraska (IIRC) alternating corn and soybeans as their cash crops. I’ve watched one of her videos breaking down the finances for their farm and it seems like without the YouTube income, they would be operating on the ragged edge. She loves the farm life and feels blessed to have that be her life. She and her neighbors are really trying to keep land in the hands of small farmers and not sell out to the large factory farms. Seems like a tough future.
Laura Farms is a terrific channel to showcase the work and finances needed despite the mountain of idiotic and destructive regulations. So is Clarkson’s Farm albeit across The Pond…which The Motherland is massively worse with asinine micromanagement regulation that is clearly intent on destroying food production. No Farmers=No food…but government goofballs don;t seem to understand that (or do and want to bankrupt local small producers). Let the market make the rules and usually suppliers willingly comply.
Knew an organic (truly) farmer who raised all his own dairy, beef, and had a state of the art cheese making facility (award winning cheddar). His farm store sold raw milk (PA Amish country so perfectly fine). The PA local health “official” harassed this guy every month because of the raw milk, which this clown hated as some sort of Ebola-level health problem. The “official” worked to destroy this farmers excellent operation…and ultimately did.
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Just wait until RFKjr unveils all the crap they put in our foods, might just wake a few people up. BTW, Steak n Shake will now use beef tallow for frying…hasn’t been done since 1990 when Mickey-D’s changed to seed oils for cost savings but a lousier product. Ray Kroc, had he not passed, would have read them the riot act.
There’s a big difference between a hobby farm (Clarkson) and a for-profit farm that will support the family or family group that is operating it. You’re definitely on the ragged edge if you need YouTube income to keep you going. Clarkson is trying to turn a profit, but he’s worth Seventy million pounds (plus or minus) so sending him canned food and old clothes is not necessary for his survival. If the farm fails, he lives on the interest from his investments. Being able to sell farm-to-table in a boutique setting (PA is famous for this) with an eye on quality – possibly hot-house farming to keep it going all year – is a big advantage, but a lot of small guys lack the capital to get it going or the lawyers to fend off the government. Tough road.
Exactly.
I worked with guys in the factory who worked there to pay for there farming habit.
That was part of Henry Fords plant when he built rural parts supplier manufactories.
Two jobs was the norm around us as kids, some had farm shops the community used for dairy and veggies, even tho Shop-n-Bag was in town.
Unmanned ships are interesting for recon and surveillance but I have some concerns about unmanned weapons systems such as missiles, torpedos, anti sub weapons age so forth. I mean, what happens when a handful of third world pirates boards the ship? Might take a bit but eventually they can disable propulsion, communication systems, and then harvest the weapons. I realize two or there “sailors” on board wouldn’t make much difference but it just seems like a bad idea.
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But, then I realized. We’d need a whole new class of manned frigates or destroyers to “escort” and protect the unmanned missile platforms.
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NRCS… Renamed the old Soil Conservation Service. At least I understood SCS mission in the dust bowl era. Now I see they help the NPS figure out which native grasses or trees to plant around the visitor centers, as if the NPS scientists couldn’t figure that out on their own. I’m seeing an agency that needs sent back to, just helping commercial and farm family agriculture, or ranching, protect soil via free education, free training classes, and free soil testing reports.
As I understand the plan, unmanned ships (more on the order of battery ships with a lot of missiles) would accompany a task force of manned ships. I don’t see the navy envisions them sailing alone because of the scenario you presented. Maybe they’re thirty or forty miles from a carrier – maybe 100 – but under its air umbrella and within support range from DDGs or FFGs (when the FFGs come on line).
AZ Office Closures- It’s a good start. Now do it for the remaining states…maybe could include a few other categories while their at it, Springtime is always a good time for a traditional housecleaning. Bare bones, that’s where Federal and State government’s should be…working off a 10% flat tax. (waiting for PDJT to eliminate the IRS)
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One thing is Trump has gotten the Dem’s and Lefty’s to do is self immolate on everything, switching their positions to the opposite out of some demented (possessed) mindset. Very telling how these people publicly demand we stay in a war, or [pick anything]…just to oppose his common sense reforms to gov’t bloat and fraud. Incredible.
PS- Brother just said PDJT is selling the Dick Cheney building in Casper, WY. How the hay did that grifter get a building in Casper…for what exactly? Now it gets sold…maybe Casper Mattress will buy it for a new corporate headquarters, betting Trump will make them a deal.
I’m sure it’s a government building named for Big Dick. He made a killing working for Halliburton and I’m sure he still has oil interests. He’s 84 now, so I don’t know how engaged he is in business. His internet net worth is listed at $100 million. I’m sure he could afford most anything he wanted regarding shiny objects.
Liz Cheney’s net worth is $47 million – from her selfless service in Congress. Nice work if you can get it.
I want it all back…for We The People. Bums.
They would tell you, “Fiders keepers.”
Years ago, I had a TxDot inspector that was the heir of a farm of about 80 acres. He couldn’t survive on what one time yielded enough to support a family, so he supplemented his income by working for the State of Texas. Otherwise, he had a full time job to keep a full time farm. He was stretched thin, and I doubt he kept the acreage. Surrounding his land were multiple sections of land filled with corn being grown by a giant agricultural corporation. I’m sure they were more than willing to add his land to theirs and welcomed any profit they could squeeze from what was left of a legacy.
That’s the pattern
Charles Ingalls worked a sawmill and did freighting to support his farming habit.
What else ya gonna do when there’s no TV or “devices”. I may try a stint without the phone, see what that looks like. Not full Luddite but less “fiddling” and interruption.
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Yesterday morning, I25 northbound was fully closed. Weird as there was not a lot of traffic, figured bad accident. Had a town run pickup at Lowe’s after dropping MrsPaulM at DIA… get on and in half mile…crawl…at 8:30am. After a few miles up merge off the exit then back on to bypass the overpass. Look over during the exit crawl and a semi is stopped on the overpass with a Rv4 jammed all the way under the back, to the back seat…looked like a 75mph rear ender to do that. I was confounded as to how that could happen early morning with little traffic. Turns out…again in light traffic…someone caused an accident further up, troopers were attending to that and traffic was stopped when this person just never looked up to see the semi sitting there. Dead in an instant. Suspicions are…texting at 75mph in the passing lane because…zero attempt to avoid. We have become so distracted by all the media stuff and whatever. Not good. So if I don’t comment for a while, as is my norm (for fun) it may be my experiment.
I saw the report on that. Looked pretty gruesome…
Never saw anything like it before. Vehicles are pretty safe these days, but the Rav4 was nearly halved vertically under the trailer. Not the movies for sure.
As much of a treasure Victor Davis Hanson really is I’m afraid it’s the parting shot for the win today…🙂
Farmer wins the lottery. He was asked about his plans. “Well, I’m starting at one end of town, to the other end of town, paying all my bills. When I’m done, I hope to have enough for supper”.
If you are a small farmer/rancher, best have a town job. I grew up in that life. Both my parents had “town jobs”. Who did the ranch work? Hint. After I graduated high school and left, within two years they sold the ranch.
It is a life style.
All of my male high school teachers also had farms or ranches. Some grazed sheep or cattle. Others raised turkeys. Still others grew crops. We had horses that we used and grazed there at the house. Everyone had a garden for summer means. We raised beef for the table. Sometimes field grazed pigs.
I agree with your Congressional Reform Act, too bad it will never make it to reality…sigh… But I did send it to Randy Jackson, my congresscritter…
BTW, I am sorry for your loss.
Friends don’t come cheap.
They are rather dear.
Regarding the lease cancellations, I’d expect to see a giant GSA auction Coming Soon to a Town Near YOU!
Interesting, rise of the Sea Robots. Of course when everything’s automated and run by robots we won’t have to work and will all be rich. A bit like fusion. Limitless free energy which we’ll never have to pay for. Ahem.